Kristin Karst

A native of Dresden, Germany, Kristin Karst has become one of the leading executives in the travel industry. After obtaining her MBA from the University of Dresden, Karst worked for American Express in Germany and Switzerland before relocating to the United States and entering the river cruise industry in 1999. In 2002, together with Rudi Schreiner and Jimmy Murphy, she co-founded AmaWaterways. Through her leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and passion for innovation, Kristin continues to leverage her European heritage and commitment to personalized customer service to successfully shape the products and services of the company. A strong advocate of the travel advisor community, she has received the prestigious “Travel Vanguard Award” by AFAR Media, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Travel Weekly and was most recently named one of the Top 100 Female Founders by Inc. Magazine.